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Activity for Stanley’s Party

Stanley’s Party

Written by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
JK – Grade 6

“Stanley knew he wasn’t supposed to sit on the couch. But his people went out a lot. And they never came home before midnight. So one night, Stanley began to wonder what would happen if he sat on the couch while they were gone. Just for a minute.”

So begin Stanley’s nightly forays into the forbidden. From lounging on the couch to eating out of the fridge, Stanley is deliriously happy with his new found freedom. Children of all ages will delight in Stanley’s transformation from the average, obedient, every-day pet to a rollicking party animal gone wild. But has Stanley finally bitten off more than he can chew?

Storytime Suggestions

Before the story...

Before starting, ask the children if they have ever wanted to do something so badly (even though they know they aren’t allowed) that they did it anyway? What happened? Discuss.
Introduce Stanley, and explain that the story is all about a dog who can’t help his own curiosity and breaks the rules because of it.
Examine the front cover together. Can the children guess what Stanely does wrong?
While looking at the cover, ask the children where they think the story takes place. Which dog do they think is the main character? Why? How does he look?

During the story...

Read with expression. Build suspense as Stanley considers sitting on the couch – “just for a minute.”
Be sure to take time to explore the beautiful acrylic illustrations. What clues are in the first spread that indicate this is a dog-lovers home? (Framed pictures of Stanley, large dog bed, dog magazines on coffee table, dog pattern in carpet, paw prints on the chair, etc).
Once Stanley is firmly and comfortably sprawled along the centre of the couch, ask the children what they think might happen next.
Is there anything unique about the drawing of the music cabinet? [It has doggie bone handles].
When Stanley realizes something is missing, ask the children what it could be. He has food, music, the comfortable couch. What more could there be?
Stanley’s not worried when so many strangers show up. Are the children? Ask them what they think might happen next.

At the end of the story...

The story ends with dogs all over the world talking about Stanley’s party. But do the children know where Turramurra or Timbuktu are? Get out a world atlas or use an online mapping program to show them. Turramurra is in New South Wales, Australia. Timbuktu is in Oregan, USA.
You can also use this as an opportunity to explore the different types of dogs found around the world. Have dog breed books prepared for children to explore at the end of the story. If you choose, highlight a few recognizable breeds and share with the children where these originally came from.
Examples: greyhound (Egypt); chow chow (China); pug (China); bloodhound (Belgium); basset hound (France); poodle (Germany); great dane (Germany); rottweiler (Germany); Siberian husky (Russia); bulldog (England); beagle (England); Labrador retriever (Canada), etc.
For further discussion, ask the children if they have pets? What are they? Do they ever do things they aren’t supposed to?

Related Activities

The Stanley Dance

You can use this great action song as a break between stories or as a grand finale to the session. Make sure the children have enough room to move around.

First let your wrists move (Loosen and turn wrists)
Now let your elbows go (Let your elbow join in)
And now your whole arm (Let your whole arm go limp)

Now let’s try our legs…
First one leg (Lift one leg and shake it about loosely)
And then the other leg (Repeat with other leg)
And then both! (Shake both legs loosely)

Next let your head go (Move your head back and forth, up and down)
Your shoulders (Loosen your shoulders)
And hips (Wiggle your hips)

Now all together let’s dance! (Chant:)

Dogs dancing all around,
Dogs dancing up and down.
Dogs dancing with delight,
Dogs dancing through the night.

HUSH!… (Pause. Put your fingers to your lips and say ‘shhhhhhh’…while you crouch down low.)

Jump up! Jump down! Our people are home!

** Repeat the chant the final section 3 times …ending with children crouched on the floor. Get them to hold that pose for a few seconds.

Creative Drawing/Writing Activity

Have the children imagine what their pets do when they aren’t around. For those without pets, get them to imagine what happens at the pet store or the zoo when the shopkeeper or the caretakers go home for the day.
Have the children either draw a picture or write a story (or both) about what they imagine.

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